Flora of North America species comparison

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Castilleja occidentalis

Castilleja organorum

western Indian paintbrush, western or western yellow paintbrush, western paintbrush

Organ Mountain Indian paintbrush, Organ Mountains paintbrush
Habit Herbs, perennial, 0.7–2(–3) dm; from a small, woody caudex; with a taproot. Herbs or subshrubs, perennial, 2.7–8 dm; from a small, woody caudex; with thick, woody roots.
Stems

several to many, erect or ascending, usually short-decumbent at base, unbranched, sometimes glabrous proximally, hairs spreading, long, soft, mixed with medium length to short stipitate-glandular ones only in inflorescence.

several to many, erect to sprawling, usually profusely branched, including many small, leafy axillary shoots, hairs dense, retrorse, medium length, stiff, eglandular, distally spreading, long, soft, sometimes matted, very short-glandular.
Leaves

green to deep purple, linear-lanceolate to broadly lanceolate (to linear on sterile shoots), 1.5–4(–5.5) cm, not fleshy, margins plane, flat, prominently veined, 0–3(–5)-lobed, apex acute to rounded;

lobes ascending, lanceolate, apex acute.

green, linear-lanceolate, distally sometimes broadly lanceolate, 2–4.5 cm on main branch, 0.5–1 cm on proximal part of side branches, not fleshy, margins plane, involute, sometimes flat, 0-lobed, apex acute to acuminate.
Inflorescences

2–7(–10) × 1–3.5 cm;

bracts greenish to pale greenish yellow throughout, often aging dull reddish brown or reddish purple proximally, rarely dull reddish brown throughout, or proximally green, dull reddish brown, or reddish purple, distally greenish white, yellow, or cream, broadly lanceolate to widely oblong to ovate, 0–3(–7)-lobed;

lobes ascending, triangular to lanceolate, medium length, usually arising at or above mid length, rarely just below, central lobe apex obtuse to rounded, others acute.

2–4.5(–14 in fruit) × 1.5–4 cm;

bracts proximally greenish, distally red to reddish orange, broadly lanceolate to oblong, 0(–3)-lobed;

lobes ascending, lanceolate, short, arising above mid length, apex acute to obtuse.
Corollas

straight, 16–25 mm;

tube 9–15 mm;

teeth and part of abaxial lip sometimes exserted, beak exserted;

beak adaxially green, (2.5–)5–9 mm;

abaxial lip green, reduced, often visible through abaxial cleft, slightly pouched, 1.5–3 mm, 25–50% as long as beak;

teeth incurved to ascending, white, sometimes green, 0.7–2 mm.

slightly curved, 15–24 mm;

tube 10–13 mm;

beak exserted, adaxially green, 6–10 mm;

abaxial lip green, reduced, slightly pouched, sometimes visible in front cleft, 0.5–1.5 mm, 15–20% as long as beak;

teeth incurved, white or green, 0.4–0.7 mm.
Calyces

proximally green to purple, distally colored as bracts, 12–20 mm;

abaxial and adaxial clefts 5–9(–10) mm, 40–50% of calyx length, deeper than laterals, lateral 1–3(–4.5) mm, 5–20% of calyx length;

lobes lanceolate to triangular, apex acute, obtuse, or rounded.

proximally pale green to pale yellow-green, distally pale red to red-orange above middle, 12.5–20.5 mm;

abaxial and adaxial clefts 6–9 mm, 33–50% of calyx length, deeper than laterals, lateral (1.5–)3–4 mm, 20–35% of calyx length;

lobes lanceolate or broadly triangular, apex acute.
2n

= 24, 48.

Castilleja occidentalis

Castilleja organorum
Phenology Flowering Jun–Sep. Flowering Jun–Oct.
Habitat Meadows, gravel slopes, talus, ridges, mostly upper subalpine to alpine. Rocky slopes, shaded canyons, riparian zones, open conifer forests, sun or partial shade.
Elevation 1500–4300 m. (4900–14100 ft.) 1500–2500 m. (4900–8200 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CO; MT; NM; UT; AB; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
NM
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Castilleja occidentalis has a wide distribution in the southern Rocky Mountains, a gap in its distribution in Wyoming, and reappears in Montana and the Canadian Rockies. Bract lobing and color vary considerably but without correlation to geography. Although C. occidentalis resembles an alpine form of C. septentrionalis, C. occidentalis is missing in several regions in the distribution of the latter, even when extensive areas of suitable habitat are available, and has a discrete range.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Castilleja organorum is endemic to the Organ Mountains of Doña Ana County. Reports from the mountains of the Mogollon Rim of east-central Arizona and adjacent New Mexico are based on specimens of C. nelsonii. Castilleja organorum is grouped with C. linariifolia by some authors (for example, G. L. Nesom 1992c), but it has subequal abaxial and adaxial calyx clefts and is more likely closely related to C. integra. Castilleja organorum differs from the latter species in its loose, often profusely branched habit, more compact inflorescences, and usually smaller corollas. In Fillmore Canyon, C. integra, C. lanata, and C. organorum are all found, but each is in a different habitat, and there is no sign of hybridization.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 17, p. 635. FNA vol. 17, p. 636.
Parent taxa Orobanchaceae > Castilleja Orobanchaceae > Castilleja
Sibling taxa
C. affinis, C. ambigua, C. angustifolia, C. applegatei, C. aquariensis, C. arachnoidea, C. attenuata, C. brevilobata, C. brevistyla, C. campestris, C. cervina, C. chambersii, C. chlorotica, C. christii, C. chromosa, C. chrymactis, C. chrysantha, C. cinerea, C. citrina, C. coccinea, C. collegiorum, C. covilleana, C. crista-galli, C. cryptantha, C. cusickii, C. densiflora, C. dissitiflora, C. disticha, C. elata, C. elegans, C. elmeri, C. exserta, C. flava, C. foliolosa, C. fraterna, C. genevieveana, C. glandulifera, C. gleasoni, C. gracillima, C. grisea, C. haydenii, C. hispida, C. hololeuca, C. hyperborea, C. indivisa, C. integra, C. kaibabensis, C. kerryana, C. kraliana, C. lacera, C. lanata, C. lasiorhyncha, C. lassenensis, C. latifolia, C. lemmonii, C. leschkeana, C. levisecta, C. linariifolia, C. lindheimeri, C. lineariloba, C. lineata, C. litoralis, C. lutescens, C. martini, C. mendocinensis, C. mexicana, C. miniata, C. minor, C. mogollonica, C. mollis, C. montigena, C. nana, C. nelsonii, C. nervata, C. nivea, C. oresbia, C. organorum, C. ornata, C. pallescens, C. pallida, C. parviflora, C. parvula, C. patriotica, C. peckiana, C. peirsonii, C. pilosa, C. plagiotoma, C. praeterita, C. pruinosa, C. puberula, C. pulchella, C. purpurascens, C. purpurea, C. raupii, C. revealii, C. rhexiifolia, C. rigida, C. rubicundula, C. rubida, C. rupicola, C. salsuginosa, C. scabrida, C. schizotricha, C. septentrionalis, C. sessiliflora, C. subinclusa, C. suksdorfii, C. tenuiflora, C. tenuis, C. thompsonii, C. tomentosa, C. uliginosa, C. unalaschcensis, C. victoriae, C. viscidula, C. wightii, C. wootonii, C. xanthotricha
C. affinis, C. ambigua, C. angustifolia, C. applegatei, C. aquariensis, C. arachnoidea, C. attenuata, C. brevilobata, C. brevistyla, C. campestris, C. cervina, C. chambersii, C. chlorotica, C. christii, C. chromosa, C. chrymactis, C. chrysantha, C. cinerea, C. citrina, C. coccinea, C. collegiorum, C. covilleana, C. crista-galli, C. cryptantha, C. cusickii, C. densiflora, C. dissitiflora, C. disticha, C. elata, C. elegans, C. elmeri, C. exserta, C. flava, C. foliolosa, C. fraterna, C. genevieveana, C. glandulifera, C. gleasoni, C. gracillima, C. grisea, C. haydenii, C. hispida, C. hololeuca, C. hyperborea, C. indivisa, C. integra, C. kaibabensis, C. kerryana, C. kraliana, C. lacera, C. lanata, C. lasiorhyncha, C. lassenensis, C. latifolia, C. lemmonii, C. leschkeana, C. levisecta, C. linariifolia, C. lindheimeri, C. lineariloba, C. lineata, C. litoralis, C. lutescens, C. martini, C. mendocinensis, C. mexicana, C. miniata, C. minor, C. mogollonica, C. mollis, C. montigena, C. nana, C. nelsonii, C. nervata, C. nivea, C. occidentalis, C. oresbia, C. ornata, C. pallescens, C. pallida, C. parviflora, C. parvula, C. patriotica, C. peckiana, C. peirsonii, C. pilosa, C. plagiotoma, C. praeterita, C. pruinosa, C. puberula, C. pulchella, C. purpurascens, C. purpurea, C. raupii, C. revealii, C. rhexiifolia, C. rigida, C. rubicundula, C. rubida, C. rupicola, C. salsuginosa, C. scabrida, C. schizotricha, C. septentrionalis, C. sessiliflora, C. subinclusa, C. suksdorfii, C. tenuiflora, C. tenuis, C. thompsonii, C. tomentosa, C. uliginosa, C. unalaschcensis, C. victoriae, C. viscidula, C. wightii, C. wootonii, C. xanthotricha
Name authority Torrey: Ann. Lyceum Nat. Hist. New York 2: 230. (1827) Standley: Muhlenbergia 5: 86. (1909)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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